


Puzzle Pieces

by emquin



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Blind Date, Buddietines Week, Fluff, M/M, Minor Angst, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day gone wrong, buddie, budditines, minor Eddie/OC, pinning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22719988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emquin/pseuds/emquin
Summary: Surprised by Eddie asking what he’s doing for Valentine’s Day, Buck doesn’t expect it to be because Eddie has a date and needs someone to watch Christopher.Valentine’s Day gone wrong - Buddietines Week Day 5.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 15
Kudos: 443





	Puzzle Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was sort of supposed to fit the blind date prompt but since the blind date wasn’t buddie, I liked the idea of it fitting in with the Valentine’s Day goes wrong prompt instead. At the time when I was writing this I also only intended to write one Valentine’s Day fic and figured that posting on actual Valentine’s Day felt right. (I have now written fics to fic the budditines prompts for Saturday and Sunday so...) Anyway, enjoy.

Valentine’s Day was coming up. It had been coming up since the beginning of the year since apparently every store he stepped foot into went from Christmas things to Valentine’s Day things practically overnight. It was all really ridiculous. The last time that Buck celebrated Valentine’s Day was with Abby on what could probably be described as the worst date that he’d ever been on. He’d ended up at the hospital. Because that was how most things tended to end for Buck. 

Maddie was excited for this one, though. She and Chimney were doing really well. Buck was happy for the two of them. They both absolutely deserved each other in the best way possible and Buck was happy that they were excited for the holiday. 

Hen was planning something for Karen that she was excited about. Buck liked seeing Hen looking happier. After everything with the IVF not going well and then the incident with the ambulance, Buck was glad to see that they were doing a lot better. 

Even Bobby had plans for some sort of romantic getaway with Athena. 

The only one that didn’t seem thrilled or interested in Valentine’s Day was Eddie. But then, Eddie had lost his wife not even a year ago that the holiday meant for lovers really wasn’t going to do much to interest him. 

Buck for his part had plans to stay home and watch something action packed or maybe more cooking shows and his heart would be safe in the knowledge that Eddie wasn’t out on a date or getting someone chocolate and flowers but that he was probably with Christopher. A part of him was even considering asking Eddie if he could join him and Christopher for the night. They could do video games or movies and junk food that they shouldn’t really be eating. It would be fun. 

So, when February 14th was a week away, the last thing Buck expected was for Eddie to nudge his shoulder when they were leaving the locker room. 

“What’s up?”

“So, I have a favor to ask,” Eddie said. 

“Sure, man. Anything.”

Eddie nodded. “I just wanted to know if you were doing anything on the 14th?”

Buck felt like his heart stopped. “Uh. Valentine’s Day?”

“Yeah, Buck.”

“Uh. No. No plans.” Buck didn’t know what to think. His mind was reeling with possibilities, scenario after scenario popping into his head while he waited for Eddie to continue because he couldn’t believe that Eddie was asking him about Valentine’s day almost like he was gearing up to ask Buck out and...and Buck hadn’t even considered the possibility that Eddie might see him that way. 

“Oh. Good. Good. It’s just I needed someone to watch Christopher. I don’t want to bother Carla when she has plans with her husband and Abuela is out of town and I actually kind of figured you’d be busy but since you’re not then—” 

Eddie was rambling but Buck barely heard any of it because his disappointment drowned it out. Eddie had plans. He had plans with someone and he needed Buck to watch his son. That’s what Buck was good for. And it was fine. It was absolutely fine. It was just that for a small moment Buck had thought that it was something else and that Eddie wanted something else. But no, he just wanted a babysitter. And really, Buck, was pretty sure that Eddie was straight. He really had to stop letting himself get his hopes up. It would only lead to a broken heart. 

“Well you can let Christopher know that he has a date,” Buck said and he plastered on a smile. 

Eddie was grinning. He bumped Buck’s shoulder. “Thanks, Buck. You’re the best.”

“No problem,” Buck said and it wasn’t. He loved getting to spend time with Christopher. He just...on Valentine’s Day he may have wanted to spend time with Eddie more. Except that it was clear that Eddie just didn’t want to spend it with Buck. 

Eddie didn’t tell him about his date or about his plans for Valentine’s Day and Buck didn’t ask. He didn’t want to know. It was easier to not know because then he could pretend that it was fine and that it would be just another ordinary day watching Christopher. One of Buck’s favorite things to do. He loved that kid so much. 

Except that then, when Eddie arrived at his apartment to drop off Christopher, he was dressed like he was going on a date and Buck stood a bit floored by the door and only came out of his stupor when Christopher wrapped his arms around his middle. 

“Hi, Buck.”

“Hey, kid,” Buck said and then ushered him inside. “Come on, we have a lot to do tonight. Go get set up on the couch. I’ll be right there.”

Eddie had stepped inside too and the door was closed behind him. 

“There’s coloring books in his backpack and a few toys. It really shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours. Thanks a lot, Buck. I owe you one.”

Eddie ran over to hug and kiss Chris and then he was on his way before Buck could say anything else. 

—-

Eddie had three sisters. Two older and one younger. They were all the most annoying, nosy people that he had ever known. Abuela had always called them “metidas” and “chismosas” and Eddie had always thought that it was funny until he found himself the subject of their nosiness and meddling. 

[nosy and gossips]

It had started all the way back when Shannon left him and Christopher. His oldest sister, Julia, had been the one to start hinting at him moving on. Then, the second oldest, Viviana, had actually gone and made him a dating profile set to interested in men and women. His younger sister, Emilia, had started chatting up people for him as him on the dating profile. The whole thing was one giant mess. And once he found out and shut it down, they stopped mentioning him moving on for a while until they started just talking to their friends or friends of friends about him and that was somehow worse especially when he happened to run into them and they were all practically throwing themselves at him even in front of Christopher. 

Eddie would be lying if moving to California hadn’t been a little in part to get away from his sisters. There were other factors too, of course. The fire department was one, and the second Shannon. 

That was the thing that his sisters had never understood. She left him...but it didn’t stop him from loving her and from not wanting to move on. Even when he hated her too. And maybe even when she didn’t even want him. It was complicated in a way that they didn’t want to understand. 

The thing was that his family never liked Shannon. It was lowkey dislike, but it was dislike nonetheless and then it had become full on dislike after she took off, Eddie couldn’t blame them. 

When he first contacted Shannon once it was clear he needed her for Christopher’s school, he didn’t tell anyone in the family but his Abuela. It was just easier. Better. He also, absolutely didn’t tell them about Buck. 

Eddie had never met anyone like Buck. He was one of the kindest, most selfless people that he knew. Someone that was loyal to a fault and that Eddie was very glad to have in his corner. He was also stupidly attractive and despite the initial animosity, Buck caught Eddie’s eye from the very first moment he saw him. Buck took his breath away. Buck was also very very much not an option and hadn’t been right from the start. And then, things had gotten complicated with Shannon and then Buck was injured and suing the department and it felt like too many things had happened for anything to spark between them even though sometimes, Eddie could swear that Buck’s eyes lingered on him for just a tad too long. 

It was hard not to have a huge and glaring crush on Buck when Buck took care of Christopher and went out of his way to make sure that Christopher was happy. Buck was easy to love. 

And it was entirely a mistake when Eddie told Viviana that he had a crush on a straight man. 

“Which means, you’re ready to date again! Oh, Eddie, we’ve been waiting for this. And just in time for Valentine’s day.”

That was how Eddie wound up with an arranged blind date. His sisters had told him nothing. Not a name, not the gender, not even personality traits. Just that he had a date for Valentine’s Day and that he better not even consider cancelling or not showing up. 

“Because it’s rude, Eddie,” Emilia had said over the phone. “That’s why you can’t just stand them up. Be a man. It’s a date, we’re not asking you to go off and marry them. You’ve done that already and look how it turned out.”

So maybe he and Shannon hadn’t dated long before they got married — prompted by her pregnancy — but it wasn’t the reason that they hadn’t ended up working. Things may have gone fast, but they had definitely loved each other. That’s why it hurt so much. 

His sisters had managed to keep the date secret up until a week before Valentine’s Day. It was lucky that he didn’t have a shift. A part of him almost believed that that wasn’t any kind of coincidence but he would never be able to prove it and he was stuck going on the date anyway. 

Eddie had tried arguing that there was no one to watch Christopher but when Julia offered to fly out specifically to babysit, Eddie told her he’d figure it out. Abuela was out of town and Pepa wasn’t an option either and Eddie knew Carla had plans which left him with the option of asking the one person that he hoped didn’t have any Valentine’s Day plans: Buck. And Buck, he was more than happy to watch Christopher. He didn’t have plans! It almost made Eddie ask him out instead if only to have a good reason for skipping on the blind date. But, Eddie was a coward and he wasn’t going to endanger their friendship that way. 

Eddie got ready while on facetime with his sisters, each of them popping in and out to judge his clothes and his hair and trying to give him tips that often contradicted each other. Christopher kept asking why Eddie wasn’t going to hang out with him and Buck if he didn’t have work and Eddie didn’t want to explain it all so he let Viviana do it for him. It was the least she could do after all the trouble he was going to to go on a date he didn’t even want. 

When Buck opened the door, Eddie was surprised by the way that Buck just stopped and looked at him and for a small moment, Eddie felt like maybe Buck was checking him out but he couldn’t be sure. 

Christopher rushed forward and hugged Buck. It looked a little awkward what with the crutches, but Christopher was used to them and so was Buck. 

“Hi, Buck,” Christopher said. 

“Hey, kid,” Buck said, smiling at Christopher with so much warmth. “Come on, we have a lot to do tonight. Go get set up on the couch. I’ll be right there.”

Eddie stepped in after them and closed the door behind him. He longed to stay there with them, to join in on whatever Buck had planned for Christopher and to forget all about the night ahead of him. Staying in with Buck and Chris was the thing he wanted the most. He didn’t want a date with some stranger. He wanted them. 

“There’s coloring books in his backpack and a few toys,” Eddie said. “It really shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours.” He was hoping it wouldn’t exceed that anyway. “Thanks a lot, Buck. I owe you one.”

Eddie ran over to hug and kiss Chris goodbye even if his son barely wrapped his arms around him, already too focused on whatever he’d put on the tv. He waved when he was at the door and left. He regretted it the moment the door closed behind him. 

“Damn sisters.”

As he got into his car, he opened their group chat. One of them had named it **“At Least Let’s Get Edmundo Laid”** because they were just the worst. He texted them his annoyance but still drove to the restaurant where he was supposed to meet his date. The reservation had been made under Eddie’s name by one of his sisters and his date would be there waiting for him. 

Eddie was nervous and a tad annoyed and mostly he hoped whoever it was wasn’t a psychopath.

—-

“Daddy’s going on a date,” Christopher informed him. 

“Yes, I kinda gathered that for myself, kiddo,” Buck said. 

They were doing a puzzle. It was 300 pieces and featured _Lady and the Tramp_. Christopher had been excited the moment that Buck brought it out. The pieces weren’t too small and Buck was enjoying how much Christopher seemed to love the challenge of finding the right pieces that fit together. 

“Yeah,” Christopher said. “My aunts kind of made him.”

“They made him?” Buck asked. 

That was a twist he didn’t expect. Buck hadn’t heard much about Eddie’s sisters, other than to know that they existed and that Eddie liked the distance he had from them living all the way in LA while they were in Texas. 

“Oh, look, Buck! These go together!” 

Buck grinned and reached over to ruffle Christopher’s hair. 

“Kind of like...like me and you, you know,” Christopher said. “We go together too.”

Buck couldn’t help but chuckle at that. This kid...he was perfect and Buck really and truly loved him. 

“I guess so, Christopher,” Buck said.

It was hard to not be in the moment when Christopher was with him. As curious as he was about Eddie’s date and as much as it bothered him that Eddie was on a date at all, Christopher made for an excellent distraction. 

Christopher kept playing with the puzzle and Buck mostly just watched him, high fiving him every time that he managed to get two pieces together. 

“Buck,” Christopher said eventually. 

“Yeah, buddy?” 

“You know you and daddy fit together too,” Christopher said and he was tipping his head to one side and grinning at Buck. 

“He is my best friend,” Buck said. But boy did he wish they were more.

“No. Not like friends. Like more,” Christopher said. 

“I don’t know about that, bud. Anyway, pizza for dinner?” 

“Yes, Buck.” Chris said.

Buck chuckled and he went to grab his phone. He was surprised to see a text from Eddie. 

_How’s it going? You guys doing alright?_

—-

His name was Neal. His hair was dark and slicked back and he was moderately handsome. He also had no sense of humor and was just a little bit self-obsessed. Or, at least, he liked to hear himself talk and he certainly liked to talk about himself. And his sisters had expected him to get along with this guy? To want a second date? He barely wanted to get through this first one. 

At one point, Eddie excused himself to the bathroom and he texted them nothing more than a bunch of question marks. None of his sisters responded. So, then, he texted Buck. Checking in on them because that was what a father did. And maybe because he was wishing that he was with them instead. 

Buck didn’t respond at once and when he did it was a thumbs up emoji and Eddie didn’t think that he could start up a conversation with him while he was on his date. He’d been gone too long as it was, so Eddie went back out and Neal smiled when he returned. 

“You were gone a while. Everything okay?”

“Oh. Um, I had to check in with my friend. He’s watching my son.”

Apparently, that was not something Neal had been expecting. Then again, he’d barely allowed Eddie to get a word in edgewise. 

Neal’s face fell into a deep frown. “You have a son,” he said. 

Eddie nodded. “I do. Did my sisters fail to mention their nephew?”

From the look of him it was clear that they had. Because they probably thought that that wasn’t relevant information. They didn’t get it. Christopher needed to be first and foremost and if he was going to start dating, the person he dated needed to not only know about Christopher but also be okay with Eddie having a son — a special needs child at that. 

“They didn’t mention it,” Neal said and took a few bites of his food. 

They were both almost close to being done with their entrees and Neal had finally stopped talking incessantly. When their waiter came by asking if they needed anything, it wasn’t even Eddie that jumped at the chance to get the bill, but Neal who shot Eddie an almost apologetic look. 

“I got this,” Neal said when it came. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Eddie did not protest. A free dinner was the least he could get out of it. As they were walking out, Eddie took note of all the happy couples deep in conversation or staring into each other’s eyes in a disgustingly loving manner. The restaurant itself was decorated for the holiday with roses everywhere. When they reached the door, Eddie heard someone squeal and when he turned he saw a man drop down to one knee in front of a woman. 

“A bit tacky doing it on Valentine’s Day,” Neal said. 

“Or romantic,” Eddie said. 

When they got outside, Neal turned and looked at him. “We really don’t have anything in common. But this was fun.” He offered up his hand and Eddie shook it. 

Neal walked away and Eddie was tempted to call his sisters and tell them off for the two hours he’d wasted at a dinner with someone that he was never going to connect with. But, he didn’t want that aggravation, so instead he headed to where he’d parked his car and then drove straight to Buck’s apartment. He was so exhausted and the only thing that he wanted was to sit down with his son and Buck and maybe watch a movie. The thing he should have been doing in the first place. 

—-

They ate while doing the puzzle. Christopher was determined to finish it and he was concentrating so hard but Buck would still sort of nudge him in the right direction. He left pieces that would surely go together right next to each other and pretended not to notice them so that Christopher would instead. It was fun. 

“Think we can finish this tonight, Buck?”

“Maybe. I guess it depends on how late your dad is.” 

Christopher frowned at that but refocused on the puzzle and Buck just chuckled and put a few pieces together so that maybe they could finish the whole thing by the time that Eddie returned and took Christopher home. 

“Bucky, don’t you like my dad?” 

“Of course I do. What makes you ask that?” He watched Christopher carefully as he moved pieces around with his fingers. 

“Well, if my daddy is going to start dating again...well, why isn’t he on a date with you?” Christopher looked straight at him with his last word and Buck felt like Christopher was seeing right through him. 

“I don’t know, buddy. I don’t know. Hey, look, we almost have all of Lady done.”

They were about halfway done when the door to his apartment clicked open. Only Eddie and Maddie had keys to his apartment and Buck didn’t expect Maddie to stop by unless something had gone wrong with Chim. Christopher was distracted by the puzzle but Buck stood up when he saw Eddie walk in. 

“Hey,” Buck said and stepped around the puzzle to meet him closer to the door. 

Eddie looked tired. “Hey,” he said back and then his lips turned up into a smile. “What are you guys up to?”

“Puzzle,” Buck said. “He’s having fun.”

“At least you guys had a good night tonight.”

Buck tried to hide how elated he was to hear that. “Not a good night for you?” 

Eddie chuckled. “Yeah, Buck, you could say that. I, um, I went on a date tonight.”

“I sort of figured. Plus, Christopher told me.”

Eddie shook his head but he was smiling. “That kid doesn’t miss a thing. Yeah, my sisters made me go. They’ve been nagging me for ages and then they set this up and didn’t even tell me until the day I asked if you could watch Christopher. He was kind of a dick, to be honest.”

Buck felt lighter, suddenly. Happier. And then the words caught up with him. “He,” he said. 

“Uh...yeah. Buck, you know I’m bi, right?”

Buck shook his head. “No, actually. I didn’t.”

“Oh,” Eddie said and shuffled awkwardly. “Well, I am.”

“Me too,” Buck said and because he didn’t know if he could watch Eddie’s reaction he turned and walked back to Christopher. “How’s it going, buddy?”

“Good,” Christopher said. 

“Your dad is here,” Buck told him. 

Christopher looked up and towards Eddie who had followed them. “Hi, daddy. We’re doing a puzzle.”

“I can see that, son,” Eddie said. 

“Do we have to go yet?” 

Eddie looked towards Buck and Buck shrugged. He would keep them forever if that was an option. “You can stay. If you’re hungry we still have some pizza.”

“The one thing I got out of it was a free dinner,” Eddie said. 

“Oh. Um, beer?”

“That, I’ll take you up on. Kinda need that after tonight.”

When he came back with two beers, Eddie had dropped to help Christopher with the puzzle and Buck sat down to join them. Chris was showing Eddie everything they’d already put together. Eddie was sort of just moving pieces around rather than trying to find anything that fit and Buck could tell that he was distracted. 

“Penny for your thought?” 

“You know, in this economy, it may have gone up to a dime.”

Buck chuckled. “Dude, avoidant much?” 

“How about we just work on the puzzle,” Eddie said. 

For a while they just focused on that. Buck was still trying to help Christopher put pieces together so mostly he was searching for anything that might help him, his hands going all over the puzzle pieces and bumping into Eddie’s from time to time. Eddie sort of froze every time their fingers touched. 

“All night, I just kept wishing I had just stayed here,” Eddie said. “Or at home. Anywhere but on that date.”

Buck didn’t know how to respond to that. He put a few pieces together and passed them towards Christopher. They were very nearly done with the whole thing. 

“It was stupid,” Eddie said. “I don’t even...I’m not interested in finding someone new. But my sisters are just the worst and saying no to them just makes things even worse.” 

Buck had no idea how much time passed while they worked on the puzzle but they finished the whole thing eventually. Christopher did the last ten pieces all on his own, giggling while he did it because he was just such a happy kid. When it was done, Buck expected Eddie to gather up Christopher and his things and be on his way but instead he moved over to the couch after grabbing a second beer and Christopher busied himself admiring his puzzle but Buck walked over to sit with Eddie. 

“I really should have tried to get out of tonight. My sisters...they just like to meddle and they think me dating will make me happy or some nonsense. Abuela says they can’t leave anything alone. My love life being one of those things.”

Buck swallowed. “Well, don’t you want to find someone. Date...do all of that?” 

Eddie shrugged his shoulders and he took a swig of his beer. “I have everything I need already.”

“Christopher,” Buck said. 

Eddie nodded and he took a breath before he set down the beer bottle at his feet and he leaned a bit closer to Buck. Buck had no idea what was happening or why. 

“And you,” Eddie said. 

“And me?”

Eddie sort of nodded. “All I wanted to do today was spend the day with you. Christopher and you. If they hadn’t gotten me this fail of a date I...well, I would have wanted to do something with you tonight. Anything.” 

As friends. Eddie probably meant that he’d wanted to spend the night with him as friends and Buck wanted that too even if he wanted something more too. 

“Me too,” Buck said. He looked towards Christopher but he had to look back at Eddie when Eddie placed a hand on his knee. 

—-

Eddie hadn’t known that he was going to say anything to Buck about his feelings when he first arrived at Buck’s apartment and he let himself in, but then his hand kept touching Buck’s and then they were sitting on Buck’s couch and Buck was right there and Eddie really didn’t want to leave without making it clear that Buck was important to him and not just as his friend. 

“I don’t want to go on any dates unless it’s with you,” Eddie said. 

Buck gasped and his gaze landed on where Eddie had placed his hand on Buck’s knee. 

“You — you wanted to date me?” Buck asked. 

Buck gave nothing away in the way he was looking at him but he wasn’t pushing Eddie away or telling him off so Eddie figured that was a good sign. 

Eddie grabbed his hand. “I want everything with you,” he said and his own courage surprised him. “I was on that date and I wanted to be here. I mentioned Christopher to him and the thought of me having a child repulsed him. He wasn’t you. No one else is and no one will compare. I want you to be my Valentine. This year and next year and the year after that. No one else.”

Buck looked shocked but his hand was gripping Eddie’s hand back and his lips were twitching into a smile. 

“Buck?”

Buck surged forward, breaching the space between them and he kissed Eddie, pressing his lips against Eddie’s and lifting a hand to hold his jaw and Eddie just melted into him. Buck was kissing him, he was right there, his nose brushing against’s Eddie’s cheek and his fingers just lightly moving against his jaw and it was perfect. It was more than Eddie had expected. 

“I love you,” Buck whispered against his lips when he pulled back.

—-

They were kissing. Eddie and he were kissing. His mind was blown and thought was barely possible past trying to forever remember the way that Eddie’s lips felt on his or how Eddie’s hand had landed on his bicep and Eddie just kept moving it up and down in a caress. Eddie nipped at his lips and Buck gasped as their tongues met and Buck couldn’t think anymore. It was impossible to when Eddie was right there and they were kissing, kissing, kissing…

Buck couldn’t help but whine when Eddie pulled back, dotting Buck’s lips with a few chaste pecks after before pressing their foreheads together.

“Love you too, Buck. This should have been my night all along. Spending it with you,” Eddie said.

“This is not the worst Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had,” Buck said. 

“Not by far,” Eddie said. 

There was a lot to discuss still but none of that mattered when they were sitting so close together and they had been kissing just moments before. For Buck, something as simple as a kiss had never been much of a big deal but this kiss mattered. It being Eddie mattered. It made all the difference. 

“I would keep kissing you except—” Eddie motioned towards where Chris was still looking over the puzzle.

Buck chuckled. He kissed Eddie’s cheek, hand lifting up from his jaw to caress Eddie’s forehead. Eddie sighed. 

“How about we put on a movie? If you want, you can change into something more comfortable. You know where my clothes are.” 

“Okay. I’ll be right back, then.”

“Daddy, where are you going?” 

Buck had to get himself back together. Eddie seemed to say something to Chris and then he was heading up the stairs. 

“Hey, buddy, you wanna help me get some popcorn? We’re going to watch a movie,” Buck said and Christopher scrambled to his feet and followed Buck to the kitchen. 

“Hey, Buck,” Christopher said while Buck got a bag of microwave popcorn out of a cabinet. 

“Yeah?”

“I told you that you and daddy belonged together.”

“You know, kid, you’re pretty smart.”

“I know,” Christopher said. 

Buck couldn’t help but laugh. He tasked Christopher with listening to the kernels popping while he grabbed a bowl. 

When Eddie got back, they had already opened the bag and dumped the popcorn into the bowl and Buck helped Christopher carry it over to the couch. 

“You look really good in my clothes, so you know,” Buck said when he was passing by Eddie. 

“Ah, so that was your motive,” Eddie said. 

“That, or I just want to keep you here forever,” Buck said. 

Eddie grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the living room. “You had only to ask. I want you forever too.” 

“Best Valentine’s Day ever,” Buck said. 

“Yeah!” Christopher said from the couch and Buck high fived him. 

Eddie chuckled but he was nodding along. 

“Does this mean that you two are dating now?” Christopher asked. 

Buck chuckled and Eddie could just smile and grin. “Yeah, that’s exactly what this is.” 

“But I can still hang out with Buck too, right?” 

Buck kissed the top of Christopher’s head. “Kiddo, I think I’m going to be around even more now. You’re going to be sick of me.” 

“Never.” 

“No?”

“Nope. Not ever. You’re stuck with us now, Buck,” Eddie said. 

“And next time your sisters try to set you up on a blind date, you can just tell them you have a boyfriend,” Buck said. 

Eddie chuckled. “Should have done that in the first place.” 

Buck laughed. “That could have been a regularly cliche fake dating situation. Might have ended in the same place.” 

They were looking at each other over Christopher’s head and Eddie reached over and placed a hand on Buck’s cheek. “We would have found a way to this one way or another.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone liked it. :)  
> And Happy Valentine's Day. 
> 
> You can also like/reblog [this fic](https://inawickedlittletown.tumblr.com/post/190826507347/puzzle-pieces-one-shot) on tumblr


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